Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has issued 10 Royal Decrees, numbered 67/2026 through 76/2026, touching on personal data protection, mineral resources, narcotics legislation, agricultural genetic resources, diplomatic appointments and infrastructure, including the Oman-UAE railway link. For businesses and residents across the Gulf, the package signals a broad legal update across sectors that affect trade, data handling and cross-border movement between Oman and the UAE.
What each decree changes
Royal Decree No. 67/2026 promulgates a new Law on Combating Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, repealing the previous law that had been issued under Royal Decree No. 17/99.
Royal Decree No. 68/2026 amends the Personal Data Protection Law, which was originally issued under Royal Decree No. 6/2022. The update is likely to matter to companies operating in Oman that handle personal information, given data protection rules shape how businesses collect, store and share customer data.
Royal Decree No. 69/2026 amends the Mineral Resources Law issued under Royal Decree No. 19/2019. Existing mining licenses will be preserved through their expiration dates, offering continuity for operators already active in the sector.
Royal Decree No. 70/2026 applies the unified GCC law governing plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. That law was adopted by the GCC Supreme Council at its 43rd session in December 2022, meaning Oman is now formally bringing it into force domestically.
Diplomatic reshuffle
Royal Decree No. 71/2026 introduces a round of transfers and appointments across Oman's diplomatic corps. Five ambassadors have been transferred back to the General Diwan of the Foreign Ministry, while several new ambassadorial appointments have been made to various countries. Named among the countries connected to Oman's diplomatic network in this update are Malaysia, Austria, Japan, Kuwait, Syria, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Belarus, China, Sudan, Somalia and Senegal.
The UAE rail link
Among the infrastructure matters addressed in the wider batch of decrees is the Oman-UAE railway link, a project connecting the two neighbouring Gulf states. The rail link is part of the infrastructure provisions covered within the 10 decrees issued by Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.
Why it matters for the region
Taken together, the decrees update several pillars of Oman's legal and regulatory framework at once, from narcotics enforcement and data protection to mining licenses and agricultural resource rules shared across the GCC. For UAE-based businesses and travellers, the rail link component is the most directly relevant piece, tying Oman's infrastructure plans to its immediate neighbour. The diplomatic appointments, meanwhile, reshuffle Oman's representation across a wide span of countries, from Kazakhstan and Belarus to Sudan and Senegal, reflecting adjustments to the sultanate's foreign relations posture.
No further details on implementation timelines for the individual laws were included in the decrees as issued.